DUKE

Some people believe Genesis career ended with the departure of Peter Gabriel, I don't believe this is true, of course the band suffered loosing one of the best vocalists in Prog' Rock (If not the best) but also the man I considerer the best (and by far) lyricist ever.

Despite this terrible loss, still they had two great albums more (A Trick of the Tail and W&W), but in the same moment Steve Hackett left the band, it was Genesis no more, the main characteristic and trade mark of the band was the incredible atmospheres created by Steve Hackett and Tony Banks. But that after Steve left this incredible sound disappeared forever, plus the fact that there was only one great songwriter left, and Tony didn't had anyone else that could even be a challenge for him, because we know how weak is Mike's career and how incredibly poor is Phil's.

Mike Rutherford is an outstanding bassist but he's not more than an average guitar player and incapable of creating an atmosphere even if his life depended on it, so it was easy to expect the greatness was lost.

I have at least something good to say about Duke, it isn't as repulsive as any other later three men Genesis album, but again without the famous and unique atmospheric sound, Genesis was no longer a great or to be precise not even a good band.

Many people think There are some good songs in this album, well I wouldn't go so far to say there's something really good, but at least Duke's Travel/Duke's End is pretty proggy and can be listened without wishing somebody stick a nail trough your ear drums to stop the pain, even Duchess being repetitive is pretty decent for this Genesis caricature.

But there are a couple of songs that are hard to forgive:

Behind the Lines: For God's sake, what is this? Pomp Rock, AOR, POP? Nobody knows, but something is certain, despite the pompous and promising keyboards opening, Phil's voice appears and anything decent in this track is killed, if you combine this with poor mediocre and bland lyrics, you realize there's not hope for this once monumental band even when is clear that Tony hasn't lost the touch.

Misunderstanding: There must be some misunderstanding, there must be some kind of mistake......this is not Genesis, it's only a less than mediocre Pop track that shouldn't be named in the same paragraph with the word Genesis, boring, repetitive lack of imagination and horrible lyrics that would be OK for a band like BREAD.

Turn it on Again: I won't even stop to worry about the terrible music, because I just had lunch, but I can't stop mentioning the lyrics, because it's almost impossible to believe this is the same band that created solid, sometimes poetic but mainly intelligent lyrics like Squonk, Eleventh Earl of Mar or One for the Vine even after they had lost Gabriel, sorry but I can't get this.

The rest of the tracks are not much better (It's hard to get worst), but is enough to reach a final conclusion, no Gabriel or Hackett, no Genesis.

Trying to be nice I would give 1.5 stars to Duke, but there's not that possibility in Prog Archives, and doesn't deserve two, so I will stay with one lonely star.

Honestly I will never upgrade this album from LP, paying two times for this is too much and wouldn't accept it for free, of course this was the last Genesis album I ever bought until Archives I was released, and honestly I recommend prog fans to do the same, avoid any post W&W studio recording.